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Sinn Féin Ard Fheis under way in Dublin

Delegates at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis have voted against a motion calling on the party to completely rule out going into coalition with FF or FG after the next election.

Earlier Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness described the move by the Ulster Unionist Party not to support the deal which would shift policing powers to Stormont as a dismal failure of political leadership.

However, the major talking point of the opening evening centred around whether or not the party should go into coalition with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil after the next election.

Those against the idea said the party would be swallowed up and damaged by such partnerships.

In the end delegates backed the party leadership and decided that SF could enter into partnership with either of the two big parties - but only if a programme for government is approved by a special party conference.

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